Hey!
I’m going to Japan this December and would love some advice on my itinerary.
I’m trying to fit in a fair ammount, but also have some days of relaxation.
(I have no problem with travelling by train btw, I’m happy to kick back and relax and watch the country side pass by or have a nap lol)
**The main things I need advice on are the following:**
\- Is spending New Years in Kawaguchiko worth it? I’d love to spend a quiet few days next to Mt Fuji but I’m worried that I’ll not be able to go on walks because of the snow, and I’ll get extremely bored.
\- Do I need snow shoes? I’m only going to be in some snowy places and would rather not spend the money. Would Dr Martens be fine?
\- Reccomendations for some Ryokans in the snow!! preferably in the north 🙂
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Please let me know what you think! (It’s quite long)
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**TOKYO**
**5/12**
8AM: Arrive in Japan
9.30AM – 10.00AM: Check into Hotel
Sleep until I wake up.
7.00PM: Walk around neighbourhood and Dinner
**6/12**
9.00AM: Wake up get ready, breakfast ect.
11.00AM: Imperial Palace
12.30AM: Yasukuni Shrine
1.30PM: Lunch
2.30PM: Sensoji Temple and Asakusa
4.00PM: Ueno Park
5.30PM: Akihabara
7.30PM: Dinner and go back to hotel
**7/12/2023**
9.00AM: Wake up, get ready, breakfast ect.
11.00AM: Tokyo National art museum
1.30PM: Lunch
2.30PM: Shibamata
3.30PM: Rikugien
5.00PM: Yanaka, Dinner, finish off the day
**8/12**
9.00AM: Wake up, get ready, breakfast ect.
11.00AM: Ghibli Museum
1.30PM: Yoyogi park and lunch
2.30PM: Nezu Museum
4.00PM: Meiji Shrine
5.30PM: Harajuku
7.30PM: Shibuya and dinner
8.30PM: Explore Shibuya
**09/12**
10.00AM: Wake up, get ready,
12.00PM: Ginza and lunch
2.00PM: Tsukiji outer market
3.00PM: Edo-tokyo Japan
4.00PM: Sumida Aquarium
6.00PM: Sumida River
8:00PM: Shinjuku and dinner
**10/12**
9:00PM: Mt Mitake and Takaosan??
6.00PM: Leave Tokyo
10.00PM: Arrive in Osaka, check into hotel, dinner and bed
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**OSAKA**
**11/12**
10.00AM: Wake Up
12.00PM: Science museum
2.00PM: Lunch
2.30PM: National Museum of Ethnology
5.00PM: Minami and Dinner
10.00PM: Sleep
**12/12**
9.00AM: Wake up
10.30PM: Osaka Castle
11.00PM: Museum of History
1.00PM: Lunch
2.00PM: Tenma
4.00PM: Sumiyoshi Taisha
5.00PM: Shitennoji Temple
7.00PM: Dontonburi and walk around
**13/12**
8.00AM: Wake up
9.30AM: Nara
2.00PM: Mt Koya
5.00PM: Osaka Aquarium
**14/12**
9.30AM: Wake Up
11.00PM: Osaka Expo 70 Park
2.00PM: Miyajima Island and lunch
7.00PM: Shinsekai and Dinner
*Not sure if I should go to Universal studios alone…?*
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**KYOTO**
**15/12**
10.00AM: Wake up
11.30AM: Namba Yasaka Jinja
1.00PM: Lunch
3.00PM: Leave
4.00PM: Arrive in Kyoto
7.00PM: Shijo Street and Dinner
**16/12**
11.00AM: Wake up
12.00PM: Onsen
1.30PM: Lunch
3.00PM: Nijo Castle & Kyoto Imperial Palace
4.30PM: Kiyomizu-dera
7.00PM: Walk around streets and Dinner
**17/12**
10.00AM: Wake Up
11.30AM: Sento Palace
12.30PM: Heian Jingu
1.00PM: Lunch
2.00PM: Kodaiji Temple
2.30PM: Kyoto National Museum
4.00PM: Finish day early
**18/12**
9.00AM: Wake up
11.00AM: Kurama Mountain and Kifune Shrine
1.00PM: Kyoto Botanical Gardens and Lunch
2.30PM: Kinkaku-ji
3.30PM: Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple
4.45PM: Saiho-Ji Temple (Koke-dera)
6.00PM: Gion and Higashiyama
**19/12**
9.00AM: Wake Up
11.30AM: Inari Shrine
1.00PM: Lunch
1.30PM: Shugakuin Villa
3.00PM: Kinkakuji
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**KANAZAWA** *(Should I spend more time here/go here for New Years and spend a couple of days in Mt Fuji around this time?)*
**20/12**
10.00AM: Wake Up
12.00PM: Philosophers path
4.00PM: Leave for Kanazawa
6.30PM: Arrive in Kanazawa
8:00PM: Dinner and Sleep
**21/12**
Kenrokuen and chill out
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**NAGANO**
**22/12**
1.00PM: Leave for Nagano
3.00PM: Arrive in Nagano
5.00PM: Zenkoji Temple
**23/12**
10.00AM: Wake up
12.00PM: Snow Monkeys
3.00PM: Togakushi Shrines
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**SAPPORO**
**24/12**
8.00AM: Leave Nagano and catch JR train to Sapporo
8.00PM: Arrive in Sapporo
**25/12**
3.00PM: Lake Shikotsu
6.00PM: European themed Christmas markets and Mt Moiwa
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**26/12**
10.00AM: Wake up
11.30AM: Moerenuma Park
1.00PM: Odori Park
3.00PM: Shiroi Koibito Park
6.00PM: Susukino or Sapporo Factory
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**SNOW RYOKAN**
**27/12**
8.00AM: Leave Sapporo
3.00PM: Arrive in Ryokan
**28/12**
Chill
**29/12**
10.00AM: Check out
11.00AM: Catch train to Kawaguchiko
8.00AM: Arrive in Kawguchiko
9.00AM: Sleep
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**MT FUJI** *(This is where my itinery kind of fails tbh)*
**30/12**
Chill, visit some lakes
**31/12**
Go on a hike
Shrine
Noodles
**1/12**
Have a quiet day
3.00PM: Leave for Tokyo
7.00PM: Arrive in Tokoyo
9.00PM: Dinner and bed
**TOKYO**
Finish up some last things, plan some day trips and relax
2/12
3/12
4/12
5/12
9.30AM: Leave
4 comments
>13/12
>
>8.00AM: Wake up
>
>9.30AM: Nara
>
>2.00PM: Mt Koya
>
>5.00PM: Osaka Aquarium
So, I am also planning to travel to Mount Koya in Jan 2024. However, have you considered the time required to travel from Nara → Mount Koya?
It takes around 2-3 hours to get from Nara → Mount Koya.
If you ask me, I would do Nagano, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Osaka, fly to Sapporo, fly to Tokyo. Would likely e cheaper and faster overall.
Edo-Tokyo museum I think is still closed for renovation.
A bit odd to go hiking the day you leave to Osaka, like what you do with your luggage, you yo back to Tokyo to pick it? Also Mount Mitake OR mount Takao, not both.
Nara and mount Konya on the same day does not seems a good idea, there is quite the distance between both, then be at the aquarium for 5pm, that is a joke, you will spend more time in the train than anything else.
Lol, Miyajima in the middle of a Osaka day, no, k no it possible, that is 3-4h one way to go to Miyajima, you put 3h between each place, that mean you reach Miyajima and turn back to return to Osaka.
Exploring Shibuya at 8:30 PM is a little late if you want to shop. Most malls/stores close between 8 and 9 PM, except Don Quijote and maybe Zara and H&M. There are other night activities though, such as pubs and late cafes.
Just a heads up regarding new years accommodation – I believe this is a really popular time for locals to travel, particularly to areas like Kawaguchiko, so make sure you book for this asap if you’d like to stay there. I was looking for accommodation for new years recently and found that prices are also much higher for certain places during this time.